History Main / YouKnowWhatTheySayAboutX

Usually, "what they say" is merely implied, but sometimes a person will elaborate on what stereotype they're talking about. This can lead to some humor, as another character assumes they're talking about a different stereotype, and the first character ''has'' to elaborate. ("You know what they say about the British!" "They love soccer?") (What, you mean that isn't it?)

** ''Literature/TheTruth'' features a man named Mr. Windling who is a tenant at the place William de Worde lives, who likes to use this phrase. William de Worde, being an ethical journalist, [[RantInducingSlight eventually gets fed up with this habit]] and demands that Mr. Windling tell him who "they" are and what "they" say.

* FantasticRacism abounds in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' and several NPCs will pull this on the player. On the world of Azeroth, racism comes in several flavors: Alliance-aligned characters who hate orcs, Alliance-aligned characters who hate undead, orcs who hate non-orcs, undead who hate the living, and anti-elf hatred (with an undercurrent of homophobia and victim blaming). Over the course of the ''Mists of Pandaria''expansion to ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft'' conversations between the player and Warchief Garrosh Hellscream get increasingly awkward due to the Warchief's casual racism towards all the non-orc races in the Horde. He doesn't realize that his statements are offensive to you if you happen to be a member of one of those races because he considers you ACreditToYourRace and not like the people he's complaining about. You are after all the big strong hero right? [[spoiler: not really]].

* FantasticRacism abounds in ''Franchise/Warcraft'' and several NPCs will pull this on the player. On the world of Azeroth, racism comes in several flavors: Alliance-aligned characters who hate orcs, Alliance-aligned characters who hate undead, orcs who hate non-orcs, undead who hate the living, and anti-elf hatred (with an undercurrent of homophobia and victim blaming). Over the course of the ''Mists of Pandaria''expansion to ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft'' conversations between the player and Warchief Garrosh Hellscream get increasingly awkward due to the Warchief's casual racism towards all the non-orc races in the Horde. He doesn't realize that his statements are offensive to you if you happen to be a member of one of those races because he considers you ACreditToYourRace and not like the people he's complaining about. You are after all the big strong hero right? [[spoiler: not really]].

** In ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad'', Granny Weatherwax objects to Nanny Ogg wearing red boots, ending her criticism with, "You know what they say about women who wear red boots," to which Nanny replies, "Just so long as they also say they've got dry feet."
** In ''Discworld/MenAtArms'', Constable Cuddy (a dwarf) overhears someone use the phrase "You know what they say about dwarfs!", and for several scenes afterwards demands to know what exactly people say about dwarfs because, of course, nobody tells ''them''.

** In ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', Angua and Carrot find a suspect has a collection of weapons catalogues, and Angua jokes "You know what they say about men who like big weapons." Carrot, who's not one for dirty jokes, asks what, and after she awkwardly admits "They're rather... small", he thinks she means "short" (like dwarfs, who are known for carrying big axes wherever they go). At least, that's what he ''says''. Angua has her doubts...
** ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'':

** ''Discworld/TheTruth'' features a man named Mr. Windling who is a tenant at the place William de Worde lives, who likes to use this phrase. William de Worde, being an ethical journalist, [[RantInducingSlight eventually gets fed up with this habit]] and demands that Mr. Windling tell him who "they" are and what "they" say.

* Creator/JeffFoxworthy: "You keep hearing that, don't you? 'You know what they say about a man who's got big hands; big feet; big nose...' I tell you what, he ''better'' be packin', cuz that's one ''funny-lookin''' dude!"

* Robin Williams: You know what they say about a man with big hands and big feet, right? [[spoiler:Right, big gloves and big shoes!]]

-->'''Megatron''': You Optimuses are always so eager to sacrifice yourselves for others.

* Subverted magnificently in [[http://icomix.com/maze/comicpage/browse.php?index=717 this]] ''Webcomic/{{Irritability}}'' strip.

* In the ''Pee Wee's Playhouse'' episode The Cowboy and the Cowntess, Pee Wee notices Cowboy Curtis's boots are worn out and offers him his wish for the day so Jambi could give him a new pair of boots. Jambi asks what size and Curtis says something like 15 and then... DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything

** Applied to the Klingons in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' with lines such as "they all look alike" and "only top-of-the-line models can talk". Irony was elicited from having a black Starfleet admiral claim that "Klingons would become the alien trash of the galaxy". Nichelle Nichols, however, refused to say "guess who's coming to dinner".
*** That line was given to Chekov while Uhura's other line was to be "Would you let your daughter marry one?" was cut altogether.

* In ''WakingTheDead,'' a character comments that the French are highly emotional. Boyd agrees and [[spoiler: glances at Stella as he does so. She's French. OK, British-born, brought up in France, but that's a discussion for elsewhere]].

'''Megatron''': No...I take you for a Maximal.\\
Of course, Optimus takes the truce, but he knows Megatron is up to something, and from there, things get interesting.

-->'''Megatron''': You Optimuses are always so eager to sacrifice yourselves for others.\\
The insult here being that all previous holders to the title of Optimus (such as Optimus Prime in G1) tend to jump on a whim into certain death to protect others and defeat a Megatron.

* {{Narnia}}: "Fauns will say anything, you know."

* Subverted magnificently in [[http://icomix.com/maze/comicpage/browse.php?index=717 this]] ''{{Irritability}}'' strip.

* In ''AHardDaysNight'', Paul's grandfather does this more than once. Once, he tries doing this to Ringo ''about Ringo'': "They'll pick on a nose, you know." But similar insinuations about fellow Beatles and cops later prove effective.
* ''The Nun's Story'': "You know what they say about monkeys" *does the MonkeyMoralityPose*

* In one episode of ''PinkyAndTheBrain'', Brain masquerades as an office worker, and a female co-worker comes on to him with the line, "You know what they say about men with big ears? They wear big earmuffs."

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-->'''Creator/BaratsAndBereta,''' "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEp5yc-g3A&ob=av3e Auto Insurance]]"

* ''TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': Will had his "baby shoes" lacquered to give to his mother on Mother's Day. When he shows them to the others they turn out to be ''adult sneakers''. When they point this out...

'''Car Insurance Agent:''' (sigh)... ''[[GenreSavvy they have large penises?]]''\\
'''Barats:''' [[CallBack They're great drivers.]] [[SubvertedTrope Nice try though,]] ''[[WrongGenreSavvy pervert!]]''

* [[http://www.fictionpress.com/s/3112491/1/The-Lay-of-Paul-Twister Paul Twister]] uses this to social-engineer his way out of getting caught by a guard: he pretends he's there for a tryst with the local sorceress, and "[[YouKnowWhatTheySayAboutX you know what they say about]] [[PowerPerversionPotential magic and the Nighttime Arts..."]] The guard is [[TooMuchInformation predictably squicked]] and stops being suspicious of him; instead just wanting him to leave, [[BatmanGambit exactly as planned.]]

Often leads to YouKnowImBlackRight NeverTrustATrope is a subtrope; what they say about X is that you can't trust them.

-->'''BaratsAndBereta,''' "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEp5yc-g3A&ob=av3e Auto Insurance]]"